Standards Philosophy
What a Digital World Standard Is
A Digital World Standard is a rule that:
- Defines meaning (shared vocabulary)
- Defines boundaries (what a layer can and cannot do)
- Defines invariants (what must never change)
- Defines interfaces (how layers interact)
What Standards Govern
Standards govern:
- Layer responsibilities
- Inter-layer dependencies
- Data ownership boundaries
- Custody rules
- Replaceability rules
- Interoperability expectations
What Standards Do Not Govern
Standards do not govern:
- Brand decisions
- Vendor selection
- UI design style
- Political decisions
- Local policy preferences (unless they violate invariants)
Standard Lifecycle
- Proposed
- Reviewed
- Adopted
- Versioned
- Deprecated (only if safe replacement exists)